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Turkish Press Review, 07-08-13Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Turkish Directorate General of Press and Information <http://www.byegm.gov.tr>Summary of the political and economic news in the Turkish press this morning13.08.2007CONTENTS
[01] AKP TO DECIDE ON PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TODAYTurkey’s likely next president is expected to be emerge from meetings today of the Cabinet and the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK). The AKP’s presidential candidate will be announced tomorrow or Wednesday. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is seen the frontrunner, while Besir Atalay, Murat Basesgioglu and Vecdi Gonul are other possibilities. Gul’s candidacy this spring was rejected by the opposition parties, leading to early general elections and a stronger mandate for the ruling AKP. The first round of the presidential election will be held next Monday. In addition, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was appointed by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer to form a new government, will continue working this week to draw up a list of new Cabinet ministers. /Turkiye/[02] ERCIYES HOSTS MHP’S 18TH VICTORY CONVENTIONThe Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) held its 18th Victory Convention in Mt. Erciyes in Kayseri over the weekend with the attendance of thousands supporters. Speaking at the gathering, MHP leaders said that Turkish nationalists would continue to serve the country under the party’s roof. MHP leader Devlet Bahceli was unable to attend the convention due to scheduling conflicts. /Milliyet/[03] PORTUGAL: “ TURKEY ’S EU TALKS WILL CONTINUE”In the wake of taking over the European Union term presidency from Germany last month, Portuguese officials said yesterday that Turkey ’s EU accession talks would continue with good will. Stating that Turkey has great importance for the future of the bloc, they underlined the country’s strategic position as well as its role in improving relations with the Islamic world. /Turkiye/[04] PKK MINE IN SIIRT INJURES 13Terrorist PKK militants yesterday detonated a roadside mine in Eruh, Siirt as a minibus carrying army personnel was passing by, injuring 13. The injured were sent to Siirt Military Hospital for treatment. Following the incident, security forces began a crackdown in the region. The terrorists have killed some 80 soldiers since the beginning of this year, most in roadside bomb attacks on military vehicles. /Cumhuriyet/[05] ITO HEAD: “FOR THE SAKE OF ECONOMIC STABILITY, LET’S AVOID CONTROVERSY OVER NEW PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION”Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) head Murat Yalcintas said over the weekend that last month’s general elections had been triggered by problems with the presidential election in May, and added, “The people have shown their will here. Now what we have to do is to respect this. Anyone from inside Parliament or elsewhere has the right to run for president.” In a statement, Yalcintas said that the people had chosen stability and that they didn’t want this hard-won stability to be lost, adding that the Turkish business world didn’t want anything to endanger economic progress, stall reforms or hurt the nation’s atmosphere. /Sabah/[06] JOURNALIST TO SEEK HELM OF NEW DEMOCRAT PARTYJournalist Nevval Sevindi is the first to announce her candidacy to run the recently formed Democrat Party (DP). Sevindi said over the weekend that in her candidacy she would emphasize new policies, new faces, and new aims./Star/[07] TUZMEN ANNOUNCES CUT IN CUSTOMS DUTIES AMONG TURKEY , IRAN AND PAKISTANState Minister Kursad Tuzmen said over the weekend that under the new Economic Cooperation Organization Trade Agreement (ECOTA) just ratified by the Iranian Parliament, customs duties among Turkey , Iran and Pakistan are set to be cut. Stating that preferential trade among the three countries will go into effect early next year, he added, “I’m expecting a boom in Turkey 's trade with Iran and Pakistan .” /Aksam/[08] FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…FROM THE COLUMNS…[09] THE IRAQ PROBLEM ISN’T CONFINED TO THE PKKBY SEMIH IDIZ (MILLIYET)Columnist Semih Idiz comments on recent developments concerning Iraq . A summary of his column is as follows: “The Iraq problem is forcing Washington to take steps which it should have taken some time ago. The latest UN resolution which aims at strengthening its role in Iraq is an important indicator of this. Another sign came in the recent remarks Washington ’s Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad made to The Washington Post. Khalilzad said that Washington supports the resolution and wants to hold a conference of Iraq ’s neighbors under UN auspices. Turkey is part of that group, which also includes Saudi Arabia , Iran , Kuwait , Jordan , and Syria . Its inclusion of Iran and Syria clearly shows the US desperation over Iraq . Khalilzad’s saying that the US needs regional support to bring the Iraqis together, because it would be difficult for it to achieve this alone, also confirms this. In this context, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s visit to Ankara last week takes on added importance, because Baghdad is trying to get used to the possibility of US forces withdrawing from Iraq . Iraqi officials know that if US forces leave their country they would face their neighbors, and they should have good relations with these countries. Maliki’s statements in Ankara were welcome in Washington but bothered the Iraqi Kurds; on the other hand, the way Maliki’s handshake with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran disturbed US President George W. Bush should be seen as part of this larger story. It’s clear that among Iraq ’s neighbors, the most important countries in terms of security are Turkey , Iran , and Saudi Arabia . Syria , Jordan , and Kuwait have humanitarian importance, because most of the millions of refugees who fled Iraq found refuge in these countries. These developments also show that Turkey shouldn’t see the Iraq problem as being confined to the PKK. If Ankara fails to see the whole picture, this makes it risk being excluded from the emerging new balances. But these developments should give pause to the Iraqi Kurds, whose thoughts about the PKK have started to diverge from Washington ’s. The way the PKK continues to take shelter in northern Iraq will make it hard for Turkey to contribute to stability in Iraq . This would in turn make it likelier that the Kurds, not Turkey , will grow isolated in the region. In fact, the Iraqi Kurds should know that their stance on the PKK makes things difficult for the US . So they should understand that they won’t benefit from antipathy towards Turkey or the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).” Turkish Press Review Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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